Penguin Random House Revenues Reach $1.91B in First Half of 2015

By Dianna Dilworth 

Penguin Random House’s revenues were up 16.2 percent, reaching $1.91 billion during the first half of 2015.

During the first half of the year, Paula Hawkins’ debut novel, The Girl on the Train, sold more than 4.5 million copies, more than any other book during the period. In addition, E.L. James‘ latest book, Grey, sold more than 3.5 million print, audio and e-book copies in the U.S. and U.K. during its first two weeks in publication.

In an email sent to Penguin Random House employees, Markus Dohle, CEO, of the publishing house thanked employees saying that, “in my most optimistic moments I could not have foreseen the publishing successes we have been enjoying this year.”

“As you well know, this industry is unpredictable: Migrating release dates, unexpected title additions, shifting marketplace trends, and vacillating consumer preferences are among the complexities we regularly face,” he wrote. “What we can consistently rely on, though, are our teams around the world. You transform that unpredictability into potential. My sincere thanks to each of you for your herculean efforts in support of our books and their authors.”